An example of existing lawn mowers is provided with a side discharge mower deck including a discharge shroud extending outward from a grass clippings discharge opening. The discharge shroud may be fixed to the mower deck or may be switchable between a raised position in which the shroud stands upright and a lowered use position in which the shroud extends laterally outward.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,309 discloses a mower deck including a discharge shroud and a baffle plate (blocking plate) disposed at a discharge opening of the mower deck. The discharge shroud is pivotable through a shroud hinge mechanism fixed to the mower deck between a raised position in which the shroud stands upright and a lowered use position in which the shroud extends laterally outward from the mower deck. The baffle plate (blocking plate) is pivotable through a plate hinge mechanism fixed to the mower deck between an open position in which the discharge opening is open and a closed position in which the discharge opening is closed. A swing angle of the baffle plate is adjusted by a link-type swing adjustment mechanism independently of the discharge shroud. This mower deck, in which the discharge shroud and the baffle plate are supported to a top plate of the deck around the discharge opening via the different hinge mechanisms, has a complicated structure around the discharge opening.